Snap has announced that users in Australia will be able to verify their ages though ConnectID, a service offered by banks in the country.

The company, which runs social media platform Snapchat, announced the move in response to Australia’s Social Media Minmium Age Act, a new law which restricts the usage of social media platforms to those aged 16 or older.

As a result of this new law, from December 10, 2025, all users in Australia under 16 years of age will have their Snapchat accounts locked.

ConnectID is a joint project between major Australian banks Commonwealth Bank (CBA), National Australia Bank (NAB), ANZ and Westpac.

The banks have around 10 million combined customers who will be able to verify themselves and securely share their data through ConnectID.

Snap added that it will also allow users to submit government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s licence or passport, to verify their age.

The company has also partnered with age verification firm k-ID to enable users to take a selfie which is then analysed to estimate age range.

Snap said it will only collect a “yes/no” result on whether someone is above the minimum age threshold, adding that it will not receive facial scans, bank account details, or any other personal information provided during the age verification process.

Snapchat, which views itself as a “visual messaging app” which connects friends and family, expressed disappointment that the Australian government has classified Snapchat as an age-restricted social media platform.

Snap said it “strongly disagrees” with this assessment, but it will comply, as it does with all local laws in countries in which it operates.

“… disconnecting teens from their friends and family doesn’t make them safer — it may push them to less safe, less private messaging apps,” the company said. “We continue to advocate for more privacy-conscious solutions, such as mandating age verification at the device, operating system, or app store level.”

Earlier this month eSafety, an independent government agency responsible for regulating online safety in Australia, said streaming and gaming platform Twitch will be included in the Australian federal government’s social media ban for under 16s.

Although the ban does not provide an exemption for platforms whose “sole or primary” purpose is gaming, eSafety said it found that Twitch's streaming features are primarily designed to encourage user interaction.

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